Dwi draw unwaith eto mewn rhyw gornel diarth o’r wlad gyda’r gwaith. Ar ôl ychydig o ddyddiau, mae’n edrych fel bod y gwaethaf o’r eira wedi bod (am nawr) ac mae ‘na obaith i mi allu dianc am adref.
Once again, work has me over in a distant corner of the UK. Now, after a few days, it seems like the worst of the snow has passed (for now), and there’s a chance I can escape home.
Dwi’n cael siawns flwyddyn ‘ma i ddianc y tywydd garw a gwario diwedd y flwyddyn ‘ma (a dechrau’r un nesaf) ar long yn Dubai. Tan ‘ny, fydd rhaid i mi oroesi’r eira, tagfeydd ar y traffyrdd ac aelodau staff gwestai sydd yn rhy barod i roi help llaw.
Yn ôl Google, mae hi’n 28°C yn Dubai
I’ve got a nice holiday booked this year, spending the end of this year (and the very start of next year) on a cruise ship in Dubai. Until then, I shall continue to put up with travel-disrupting snow, blocked up roads and overly keen hotel staff.
Apparently, it’s 28°C in Dubai…
B
O diar, ddaru’r penwythnos diwethaf dod a diwedd i’r rhestr hir o ffrindiau sy’n priodi eleni. Dwi i weld yn ganol yr amser ‘na o’m mywyd lle mae’n ffrindiau i gyd yn priodi, ac mae pawb wedi dewis y flwyddyn ‘ma i weld. Rhif 6 oedd y briodas ddiwethaf, a fi wedi gallu mynd i 4 ohonynt. Unwaith eto, mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud llongyfarchiadau wrthynt, a dymuno bywyd hir a hapus gyda’i gilydd.
Does fawr ddim siawns o seibiant flwyddyn nesaf chwaith, mae ‘na tri arall yn y dyddiadur yn barod. diar mi…
This weekend saw the latest in the long line of friends who’ve tied the knot this year. I seem to be at that stage in life where everyone is getting married, and they all seem to have picked this year. A list I knocked up has this year’s count at 6 weddings. Only four of which I was able to attend. Still, congratulations to all the happy couples from this year, and may they have a long and happy life together.
Next year will see no let up in wedding based activities, with at least another 3 scheduled so far… Ho hum…
B
O’r diwedd, dyma ni… rhyw benwythnos neu ddwy yn ôl, ddaru mi fynd lawr i Neuadd Gregynog ger bron Y Drenewydd i roi help llaw i benwythnos cyfweliadau “blwyddyn mewn diwydiant” Adran Cyfrifiadureg Prifysgol Aberystwyth. I rai ohonoch sydd ddim yn gwybod, mae’r Adran yn mynd a myfyrwyr yr ail flwyddyn i Regynog ar gyfer ffug gyfweliadau i baratoi nhw ar gyfer beth maen nhw’n debygol o weld yn y byd mawr.
Mae ‘na wyth ohonom yn cael ein gwahodd i adolygu’r CVs mae’r myfyrwyr wedi paratoi, ac wedyn yn cwestiynu’r myfyrwyr yn fanwl. Y syniad yw bod y cwestiynu ‘ma lot fwy trylwyr na’r rhai fyddant nhw’n debygol o weld yn y byd go iawn. Dros y noson gyntaf, ddaru ni (y cyfwelwyr) edrych trwy bentwr anferthol o CVs (o gwmpas 40 yr un) i geisio gweld os bod rhywbeth diddorol i ofyn i’r myfyrwyr. Mae David Goodwin wedi ysgrifennu traethawd llawn ar beth oedd yn bod gyda nhw (Saesneg yn unig), felly gwnâi ddim gwastraffu amser yn ail adrodd popeth. Gwnâi rhestru’r pethau dwi’n credu oedd yn bod:
- Rhestru modiwlau ar y CV – yn enwedig os bod chi wedi methu’r modiwl. Ddaru rhai o’r myfyrwyr rhestru bod nhw wedi methu’r modiwlau bas data, a bod gallu defnyddio bas data ar restr y sgiliau hanfodol.
- Peidiwch guddio’r sgiliau – Mae’n fwy pwysig i mi wybod bod chi’n gallu ysgrifennu mewn Perl neu Python, a llai bod chi hefo TGAU mewn Drama.
- Dwi ddim angen gwybod am Word, Excel neu Borwyr Gwe – Does wir ddim ots gen i pa mor ysgafn yw’r CV. Does dim esgus i restru porwyr gwe, a sa bod chi’n dallt sut mae pethau fel Pivot Tables yn gweithio, di Office ddim angen bod ‘na chwaith.
- Portffolio Gwe – Os bod chi’n mynd am swydd fel datblygydd gwe, mae’n syniad da cael portffolio ar-lein i bobl cael gweld eich sgiliau. Mae hwnnw’n siarad llawer mwy na mae “profficient in the use of PHP” yn gwneud.
- Peidiwch honni fod yn arbenigwr – Sa bod chi wir yn arbenigwr mewn rhywbeth, peidiwch honni eich bod chi. Mae’n beth peryglus ar y diawl. Ddaru un myfyriwr honni fod yn arbenigwr mewn sgiliau “trouble shooting”, a ddaru Clive (sy’n gwario rhan o’i amser yn dysgu sgiliau “trouble shooting” dechau gofyn cwestiynau manwl am ba ddulliau datrys trafferthion oedd y myfyriwr yn gwybod.
- Mae angen sefyll allan – Mae pawb yn yr adran wedi dysgu C, Java ag ychydig o PHP. Gwnewch rywbeth sy’n gwneud chi sefyll allan, ac yn dangos fod chi wedi dysgu rhywbeth tu allan i’r cwrs. OS bod chi wedi bod yn teithio’r byd, wedi dysgu cyfrifiaduron i blant mewn rhan arall o’r byd, rhedeg marathon neu rywbeth sydd yr un mor ddiddorol, mae angen sôn amdano. Mae cael hwnnw ar y CV yn mynd i wneud i’r peth sefyll allan fwy.
- Darllenwch eich gwaith – Mae cam-sillafu enw’r cwmni, y Brifysgol (do, mi ddaru ni weld hwn, sawl gwaith), neu enw rhyw dechnoleg bwysig yn mynd i beri ofn i’r cyflogwyr. Yn enwedig os eich bod chi’n honni fod yn berson sy’n cyfathrebu’n dda (cyn i chi gadael sylwadau yn dweud fy mod i wedi gwneud camgymeriad ieithyddol, dwi erioed wedi honni fod yn gyfathrebwr effeithiol tra’n ysgrifennu yn y Gymraeg).
Mae’r rhestr ‘na yn fwy neu lai yn dweud y stori gyfan. Dwi ddim yn honni fod yn arbenigwr ar greu CVs, a’r gwir yw os bod chi’n gofyn i 10 berson beth sy’n gwneud CV da, fe gewch chi 10 ateb gwahanol. Mae’r pwyntiau uchod yn sicr yn bethau sy’n mynd i gael fi i sylwi eich CV, ag mwy neu lai yn wir ar gyfer y cyfwelwyr eraill. Os bod chi’n anghytuno, gadwch i mi wybod, efallai fyswn ni’n gallu adeiladu syniad gwell o beth mae CV da ar gyfer y byd technegol yn edrych fel.
Wrth ddarllen rhai o’r pwyntiau o blog Clive am ei 14eg gwaith yn cyfweld yng Ngregynog, dwi’n gweld fi’n hun yn cytuno’n llwyr gyda’i bwynt:
The weekend is all about learning and I also observe that as invited Industrialists we forget just how much we have learned in time between our 2nd year in University and today. The students are very much work in progress, though a bit of a wake up call was due in most cases. Perhaps awake up call the Industrialists (Clive included) got when they were of a similar age.
Gwnes i ddysgu tomen yn ystod fy mhrofiad Gregynog fi fel myfyriwr israddedig. Pan wes i fynd ‘na ‘nol yn ’02 (dwi’n cofio bod yn ofn tra bod Clive yn sgrechian gweiddi ar un o’n grŵp ni), roedd fy CV fi yn WAEL DROS BEN. Gefais i sioc ar y diawl tra bod fi ‘na, a gwnes i ddysgu cryn dipyn.
B
Rhagor o ddarllen:
Better late than never I guess… a weekend or two ago I headed over again to the lovely Gregynog Hall to help out with Aberystwyth University Computer Science‘s “Industrial Year” interview weekend. For those of you who don’t know, the department drags the 2nd year students away for a series of fake interviews to prepare them for what they might encounter entering the world of work.
Eight “Industrialists” are invited to review CVs prepared by the students, and subject them to some intensive questioning. The idea being that these interviews are rather more intensive than the ones they’re likely to encounter in the real world. The first evening has us (the Industrialists) sift through a pile of CVs (something in the region of 40 a piece) to try and find something interesting we can use at the interview. David Goodwin has put together his thoughts on the CVs we saw, so I won’t bother going through it all again. I’ll sumarise my thoughts into the following list instead:
- Don’t list modules on your CV – especially if you’ve failed the module. One or two listed that they’d failed a database module when applying for a job which had “Databases” as a key requirement.
- Don’t bury the lead – IT skills need to be high up on page 1.
- You don’t need to tell me about Word, Excel or Web browsers – I don’t care how light your CV is, you really can’t list using web browsers as a key skill. Also, unless you’re familiar with how Pivot Tables work, or know some of the more esoteric features of Word, they don’t belong on there either.
- Web developers need a web portfolio – It surprised me to see that so few of the students maintained a blog, or a Flickr page, or any kind of web portfolio.
- Don’t claim to be an expert – Unless you’re actually an expert in something, saying you have expert knowledge of a key area is a dangerous thing to say. One student said he was an expert trouble-shooter and was immediately quizzed by Clive, who some of his time teaching trouble-shooting techniques to some of the largest companies out there.
- You need to stand out – All of your classmates will have learned C, Java and a bit of PHP. Do something that demonstrates you have learned something outside of the course. If you’ve gone traveling around the world, taught computing skills to kids in some isolated area, ran a marathon, teach zorbing or something equally as interesting, then SAY SO. Something that makes you stand out will mean you’re more likely to get an interview.
- Proof-read it… several times – Mis-spelling things like the name of the Company, the University you studied at or the trademark for an important technology doesn’t inspire confidence, especially if you claim to be an effective communicator.
These are my thoughts anyway. I’m not claiming to be anything close to an expert. The honest truth is, if you asked 10 people what a good CV looks like, you wouldn’t get a single, conclusive answer. The points above are certainly true for me, and are broadly the points expressed by the other industrialists. If you disagree, please leave a comment below, and we’ll see if we can work out a better picture of what a great IT CV should look like.
Reading some of the points in Clive‘s blogpost on his 14th year doing Gregynog, I can’t help but agree with what he said:
The weekend is all about learning and I also observe that as invited Industrialists we forget just how much we have learned in time between our 2nd year in University and today. The students are very much work in progress, though a bit of a wake up call was due in most cases. Perhaps awake up call the Industrialists (Clive included) got when they were of a similar age.
I learnt a LOT at Gregynog. When I went on that weekend back back in ’02 (I remember being terrified watching a classmate being screamed at by Clive), my CV was REALLY weak. It was the wakeup call I needed, and I learned a lot from it.
B
See also:
Fe ges i gwestiwn yn ddiweddar trwy sylw ar y blog yn gofyn am fy mhrofiadau o ysgrifennu blog yn ddwyieithog. A dyma fi’n meddwl… Www! Rhywbeth diddorol i ysgrifennu am!
Mae blogio yn ddwyieithog yn anodd! (wel, i mi beth bynnag)
Dwi’n siŵr fod rhai ohonoch wedi gweld bod y cynnwys Cymraeg a Saesneg ychydig yn wahanol, mae hynny oherwydd dwi ddim yn meddwl fod “cyfieithu” cynnwys ddim yn gweithio’n dda iawn. Mewn rhai achosion, di’r cyfieithiad ddim yn gwneud synnwyr, neu yn colli’r ystyr ‘gwreiddiol’, ac mae rhaid ail-ysgrifennu rhai tameidiau.
Efallai hefyd fod nawr yw’r amser gorau i gyfaddef fy mod i’n tueddu ysgrifennu’r rhan Saesneg yn gyntaf, ac wedyn gweithio ar y fersiwn Cymraeg. Dwi’n siŵr fy mod i wedi trafod o’r blaen am y drafferth dwi’n cael yn ysgrifennu yn y Gymraeg (yn bennaf oherwydd fy mod i ddim yn wych yn gwneud y peth tra bo fi yn yr ysgol, a fy mod i heb wneud am amser maith cyn i mi ddechrau gyda’r blog unwaith eto). Mae gen i ofn yn aml o’r “snobs ieithyddol” sy’n bodoli yn y Gymraeg, y bobl sy’n gas i chi os di’r treigliad ddim yn hollol gywir, neu os bod chi’n defnyddio iaith anffurfiol yn lle iaith ffurfiol. Mae’n peri ofn i mi weithiau, ac yn gwneud fi’n llai tebygol o ysgrifennu rhywbeth cyhoeddus. Dwi ddim yn meddwl fod yr un drafferth yn bodoli yn y Saesneg yn bellach ar y we, efallai oherwydd bod y snobs ieithyddol Saesneg wedi hen dianc i ysgrifennu llythyron cas i’r Times neu’r Telegraph.
Dwi’n sicr mai dim ond angen ymarfer sydd angen arna, a gwnâi gwella fel dwi’n gwneud mwy, a gwnâi dysgu sut i boeni llai am sylwadau cas. Tan ‘ny, fydd rhaid i chi ddiodde’ gyda’n Cymraeg lletchwith, a’n ymgais pitw i ysgrifennu yn y Saesneg.
Tan tro nesaf!
I was asked recently in a comment about my experiences of bilingual blogging. It seemed like a pretty decent topic, and the result is this…
It’s *bloody* difficult.
The more eagle-eyed (or bored) amongst you may have noticed that the Welsh and English content isn’t exactly the same, and that’s becasue I don’t really think “translating” blogposts works terribly well. Phrases work in one language that don’t make sense in the other (or that there isn’t an equivalent phrase in the other language), so it becomes necessary at times to re-write passages to get the same content across.
I feel also it may be time for a confession, much to my dismay, I do tend to write this in English first, and then work on the Welsh version. I think I’ve spoken before about the difficulties I’ve had in writing again in Welsh (mostly because I wasn’t amazing at it in School, and until I’d re-started the blog, I’d not written in a few years). There is an intangible fear at times of the “Language Snobs” in Welsh, the people who sneer if you don’t use a mutation correctly, or ridicule you in a public forum for using informal language where they thought formal language was more appropriate. It’s a bit of a confidence knock, and it makes you a little gun-shy. I don’t think it exists in the same way in English, maybe because the concept of an ‘English’ web has been around for more, and all the pedants have given up and gone back to writing surly letters to the Times or the Telegraph. Or maybe it’s just me…
I suppose that practice makes master, and the more I keep writing, the better I’ll get at it and eventually I’ll learn to ignore mean-spirited criticism. Until then, you’ll all have to put up with my stilted Welsh posts, and my meager attempts at posts in English.
Until next time.
B
Dwi di ddarllen blogiau gan bobl oedd arfer byw yn Aberystwyth yn ddiweddar sy’n edrych nôl ar yr amseroedd da tra bod nhw’n byw yno. Gan fy mod i’n straffaglu cael digon i ysgrifennu amdano ar hwn, ddaru fi feddwl, pam lai?
Bu mi symud i Aberystwyth nol yn fis medi 2001, ac aros yno tan Basg 2007. 5 blwyddyn a 7 mis. Yn edrych yn ôl, dwi’n eithaf sicr mai’r 7 mis diwethaf na oedd yr amser mwyaf cas i mi gael erioed yn fy mywyd. Gweithio dwy swydd i’r brif ysgol (un fel Warden, a’r llall yn yr adran technoleg gwybodaeth). Doedd fawr ddim o amser rhydd gen i, a’r fymryn bach oedd gen i, gwnes i fawr ddim o fydd gyda fe. Felly, yn y diwedd, roedd hi’n reit haws i mi adael.
Wedi dweud ‘ny, doedd yr amser yno ddim yn hollol wael. Dwi wedi gwneud ffrindiau ardderchog yna, ac mae rhai ohonynt yn agosach i mi na rhai aelodau o’n nheulu (di hynna’ peth gwael i’w ddweud?).
Dwi ddim yn methu Aberystwyth. Dim o gwbl. Roedd y siopau yn wael, a do ni ddim yn hoff iawn o’r myfyrwyr yn y diwedd. Dwi’n methu’r bobl, a’r peth gwych nawr yw bod y perthnasau ‘na yn ymestyn mewn i’r byd “go-iawn”, a dwi’n cael chwarae rhan mewn rhywbeth sy’n ymestyn ymhellach na’r tamaid bach na o dir ar arfordir gorllewinol Cymru.
Yn wir, mae rhan gorau Aberystwyth gyda fi o hyd, a dyna pam dwi ddim yn methu’r lle.
I’ve read a few ex-aberite posts lately about departing Aberystwyth and looking back on all the fun times. I thought, yeah… why not chip in?
So I first moved to Aberystwyth in September of 2001, and was there until Easter of 2007. 5 years and 7 months. Looking back on it, I’m relatively certain that the last 7 of those months were the most miserable I’ve ever been. I was working two jobs for the University (as a Warden in one of the halls and in the IT department’s Operations Team). I had very little free time, and what little there was seemed to be spent doing nothing of any real value. So in the end, it was quite easy for me to leave.
That’s not to say that Aberystwyth wasn’t good. In many respects, the friendships I’ve developed there are exceptional. A group of people who I consider in some cases to be closer than family (is that a terrible thing to say?).
I don’t miss living in Aberystwyth. Not even slightly. The shops were naff, and I wasn’t overly keen on the students by the time I left. I miss the people, and the great thing now is that those friendships have been extended into the “real” world, and I get to play a part in something that extends beyond that small bit of life clinging to the west coast of Wales.
Ultimately, the best bit of Aberystwyth is always with me, which is why I don’t miss it.
B
Unwaith eto, er gwaethaf fy mwriadau gorau, dwi ‘di methu cadw lan gyda hwn gydag unrhyw fath o gysondeb. Wedi dweud ‘ny, mae’r faith fy mod i’n hysgrifennu hwn ychydig dros fis ar ôl i mi wneud yr un diwethaf yn rheswm dathlu dwi’n siŵr.
Ers i mi fod ar fy ngwyliau, mae pethau wedi tewi. Does fawr ddim o deithio, gyda Leeds a Southampton yn ddiwedd reit ddiflas ar 7 fis prysur o deithio personol ag ar gyfer gwaith (rhaid pwysleisio mai’r dinasoedd sy’n ddiflas, yn hytrach na’r rhesymau i fi fynd ‘na).
Felly, beth oedd y pethau fwyaf diddorol yn y mis diwethaf? Wel, falch boch chi di gofyn…
Priodas Faye ag Andy
Ie! O’r diwedd, siawns i mi gyflawni ar fy addewid i fod yn ddyn gorau i Andy, a gwneud yn siŵr fod o’n troi lan yn y capel ar gyfer y briodas. Roedd y briodas a’r parti wedyn yn dipyn o hwyl (blaw am y “jôcs” Cymraeg diddiwedd). Aeth yr araith yn well na’r disgwyl, gyda phobl yn chwerthin yn y llefydd cywir (mwy na sydd gallu cael ei ddweud am araith Andy…).
Yet again, despite my good intentions, I’ve failed to post with any degree of regularity. That having been said, the fact that I’m writing this just slightly over a month after my previous effort is surely cause for celebration.
Since the holiday, things have largely been quite settled. The ammount of travel I’ve had to undertake has decreased considerably, with a few trips to Leeds and a brief trip to Southampton being a rather lacklustre end to 7 months of work/personal trips (specifically in regards to Southampton, the destination is what I regard as lacklustre, rather than the event that took me there).
So what have been the highlights? I’m glad you asked…
Faye & Andy’s wedding
So yes, I was able to discharge my duties as Andy’s best man and see him married off to Faye. The wedding was lovely, and the reception was jolly good fun (apart from the endless Welsh jokes). The speech seemed to go down well, with people laughing at the right places (which is more than can be said for Andy’s effort).
Ymwelwyr
Un o’r pethau reit foddhaol am y lle newydd (a’r ffaith fy mod i nawr yn cael penwythnosau adref, yn lle gorfod teithio i rywle) yw fy mod i’n gallu rhoi rhywle i ffrindiau aros. Dwi di gael sawl un yn gwneud dros y penwythnosau diwethaf, a di cael amser da dros ben yn dal lan da nhw.
But I digress, the Bride & Groom looked very happy together, and a good time was had by all.
Playing the host
One of the nice things about having the new place (along with the free weekends that come with not having to travel places) is the ability to play host to friends who visit. I’ve had a few do so lately, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to see them. It’s not something I’ve been able to do in quite some time (having been in a flat-share before that for pushing on 2 years).
Cadw Tŷ
Un peth ddaru mi ddim ystyried cyn cael y tŷ oedd faint o waith sydd ‘na yn cadw’r peth. Dwi’n deall digon am beth i’w gwneud (rhedeg y hoover a phallu o gwmpas), ond dwi dal ‘di synnu gyda faint o waith sydd i’w gwneud, a pa mor aml mae angen gwneud y peth (er engrafit, do ni heb ystyried bod angen glanhau’r llwch oddi ar y fframiau yn y lolfa. Yn sicr, dwi’n deall yn well nawr pan fod Mam wedi rhoi cymaint o strach i ni fel plant am faint o waith oedd yn mynd i gadw’r tŷ yn lan.
Teledu
Ag i gloi, gan fy mod i adref, dwi’n cael amser dal lan gyda rhywfaint o deledu, ac wedi bod yn mwynhau “Mad Men” a “How I met your Mother”.
Wel, dyna ni… tan tro nesaf!
Keeping house
Something I’m having to come to grips with of late is actually keeping a house. I have a vague understanding of how such things work (surfaces need going over with the vacuum cleaner, dusters over shelves and alike), but I’m constantly surprised about how much work is involved, and how often it needs doing (it hadn’t occurred to me for instance that I needed to dust above the photo frames in the hallway…). Needless to say, I now have a better understanding of why Mum kept having a go at us when we were younger about how much work she put into keeping the house clean.
TV
Finally, being at home a bit more means I have time to catch up on TV, and have been rather enjoying “Mad Men” and “How I met your Mother”..
So, that’s your lot. Until next time…
B
Drat! Mae’n ddiwedd ar fy ngwyliau. Di wythnos byth yn teimlo fel diogon tuag at y diwedd, pan fod cysgod y gwaith ar y gorwel. I rai ohonoch sy’n dilyn fy ffrwd Trydar (@bryns), dwi’n siŵr eich bod chi’n gwybod rhan helaeth o’r stori yn barod, ond i’r rhai ohonoch sydd ddim, dyma’r stori…
Dathlu Priodas Andy
Mi ddaru fi derbyn gwahoddiad ffrind i mi i fod yn ei “ddyn gorau” yn ei briodas sawl mis yn ôl, a nawr mae’n agosáu tuag at y briodas. Fel y traddodiad wrth gwrs, roedd rhaid cael parti i ddathlu diwedd ei oes fel dyn sengl. Gan fod ni di cyfarfod wrth astudio draw ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, roedd rhaid mynd yn ôl ‘na am y parti.
Os eich bod chi ddim yn hollol gyfarwydd ag Aberystwyth, does *fawr* ddim yno i’w gwneud ond yfed (hyd yn oed yn ystod y tymor…). Serch ‘ny, ddaru’r priodfab mynnu ein bod ni’n mynd yno ac yn chwarae paintball. Does fawr ddim gallai ddweud am chwarae paintball, mae’n brifo pan fod y belen yn eich taro, ac mae’n gallu gadael cleisiau mawr. Gefais i fawr ddim o gleisiau drwg, ond ddaru un neu ddau cael ei tharo mewn lle reit… erm… “poenus”.
Gan fod y briodas nawr yn agosáu, bydd rhaid i mi ddarfod yr araith ar gyfer y parti, a gwneud yn siŵr bod oeliaf un jôc (da neu ddrwg, dwi ddim yn poeni nawr)
Eisteddfod
Bu amser hefyd yn ystod y gwyliau i fi fynd lawr i Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Blaenau Gwent a Blaenau’r Cymoedd. Dwi byth yn hollol sicr beth yw’r ffordd orau i ymdrin â’r ‘steddfod. Yw hi’n well gwario’r holl amser yn y brifwyl? Ta mynychu rhai diwrnodiau a dianc i weld yr ardal gyfagos? Blwyddyn ddiwethaf yn Eisteddfod y Bala, ddaru mi gwario’r holl amser ar y maes ag yn y gigs, y flwyddyn hon ddaru mi ond gwario dau ddiwrnod yno. Un peth sy’n sicr, mae aros bell o’r maes yn meddwl bod hi ddim yn bosib cael aros ar gyfer i gigs yn y nos..
Beth bynnag, roedd cyfle dianc am Dŷ Ddewi, ac amser cael gweld ychydig mwy o’r wlad. Newid braf o’r holl gwestai, maes awyrennau a’r traffyrdd, a chael fymryn bach o ddistawrwydd wrth edrych allan i’r môr.
Bydd yr wythnos neu ddau nesaf yn brysur ar y diawl, gyda phythefnos lan yn Leeds, 3-4 diwrnod lawr yn Southampton, ac efallai noson neu ddau adref! (os dwi’n bihafio…).
Hwyl am y tro!
Bugger. It’s coming now to the end of my holidays. A week never feels like enough towards the end, when the prospect of work looms on the horizon. To those who follow my Twitter stream (@bryns), you’ll know most of this already, but for those who don’t, here’s a recap…
Andy’s Stag Weekend
Some months ago, I said “yes” to a friend’s invitation to be his best man, and the wedding is edging closer and closer. In accordance with the prophesy, the best man has to organise the stag night. For a whole list of reasons I won’t go into, the venue for the weekend was Aberystwyth (where most of us had met at Undergrads).
I don’t know how many of you have been there (I imagine that most people who read this are either painfully aware of the place, or have heard me blether on about it in the past), but there is *very* little do to in Aberystwyth other than drink (even during term time). In any case, the groom insisted on Aberystwyth, and that we play paintball. Paintballing is quite a lot of fun, but it does hurt when you’re hit (even at long range). I can’t say I suffered any significant injuries, but one amongst us did suffer a direct impact to a… well, “tender” location…
It was an enjoyable weekend, and now the wedding is fast approaching. I shall have to finish my speech, and make sure there’s at least one joke in it (at this point, I’d be willing to settle for a bad joke).
Eisteddfod
The holidays also brought a chance to attend the National Eisteddfod in Blaenau Gwent. I’ve not yet happened upon the perfect Eisteddfod formula. One school of thought suggests attending everything for the full week, whilst others go for a few days and tour the area for the rest of the time. During last year’s Eisteddfod in Bala, I spent the entire time on the Maes, or at Gigs. This year, I opted for a few days on the Maes, along with day trips to other locations. One definite conclusion I’ve reached is that it pays to stay closer to the Maes, as you miss the evening gigs by staying so far away.
In any case, we had an opportunity to escape to St David’s, and enjoy a chance to see a bit more of the country. A pleasant change from all the hotels, airports and motorways, and a chance to enjoy a moment or two of absolute silence whilst staring out to sea.
It’s flat out for the next few weeks, with two weeks in Leeds (oh the glamour!), 3-4 days down in Southampton, and maybe a night or two at home! (Only if I behave…).
Bye for now.
Wedi bod yn edrych trwy bopeth, ac mae’n debygol fod dros fis wedi bod ers i mi ysgrifennu’r neges fer am fy mod i wedi prynu tŷ. Yn fy nychymyg, roedd dwsinau o bobl wedi bod yn gofyn am fwy o wybodaeth.
Dwi’n ysgrifennu hwn, nid o’n lolfa foethus, ond o’r Gwesty Ryalls yn Blantyre (sydd draw ym Malaŵi, i’r rhai ohonoch sydd ddim mor sicr o’ch daearyddiaeth, neu’n methu dod i ben ar ddefnyddio Google). Wedi dweud ‘ny, mae’n anodd dweud trwy edrych o gwmpas pa wlad yn union fod chi ynddo. Yr unig beth sy’n rhoi cliw yw’r bwyd od, a’r mapiau Affrica ar y waliau.
Wel, well i mi geisio cadw’r rai ohonoch sydd ddim yn dilyn popeth dwi’n gwneud trwy Twitter (@bryns), a dweud wrthych chi beth sydd wedi bod yn digwydd yn fy mywyd i. Does fawr ddim newydd i’w ddweud, heb blaw fod rhan helaeth o’r gwaith wedi cwblhau ar y tŷ newydd. Mae’r waliau wedi peintio, mae’r celfi i gyd yn eu lle. Dwi’n dechrau dod nawr i ddeall yn union faint o waith sydd ‘na i’w gwneud er mwyn cadw tŷ mewn trefn, a faint o bethau bach fyswn i heb dalu sylw i fel plentyn (neu hyn yn oed ryw fis a hanner yn ôl) sydd yn digwydd ac yn gorfod cael ei delio hefo yn syth.
Mae’n brofiad diddorol dros ben, ac mae llawer o’r penderfyniadau ar sut i addurno’r tŷ wedi gweithio mwy trwy lwc na unrhyw beth arall. Ac mae pawb dwi’n trafod y pwnc hefo yn ceisio dweud wrtha’i “paid poeni, gei di ddim y lle yn iawn y tro cyntaf” – sydd ddim yn ateb mor gysurus ac maen nhw’n meddwl. Dwi’n ceisio dweud wrthynt fod y syniad o ail-beintio wal ar ôl treulio trwy ddydd arno ddim yn un pleserus. Dwi’n cael yr un drafferth ceisio penderfynu ar ryw lun neu rywbeth i addurno’r wal. Dwi’n gweld un dwi’n hoffi yn y siop, dod a’r peth adref ac yn gweld bod o’n hedrych yn wyrion y phobman. Y cyngor eto yw “paid phoeni, fe ddaw gydag amser”. Sydd fawr ddim o gysur pan ddwi’n edrych ar wal wag.
Beth bynnag, dyna ddigon am y tŷ…
Fel dwi di sôn, mae’r gwaith wedi dod a fi allan i Falaŵi. Siwrnai braidd yn hir, wedi gorfod hedfan lawr i Johannesburg yn gyntaf, cyn hedfan dwy awr i’r gogledd. Yn ôl y sôn, Blantyre yw’r ail ddinas ym Malaŵi, a hefyd prifddinas bancio’r wlad. Dim bod hyn yn amlwg trwy edrych o gwmpas. Fe welais lond llaw o bobl yn gwerthu cŵn bach ar ochor y ffordd (rywbeth dwi’n siŵr mae llawer o bobl yn prynu ar hap), a phobl yn gwerthu dillad a phallu.
Mae’r daith i Falaŵi yn cyfri fel yr 11eg daith fawr i mi wneud eleni, a’r 5ed gwlad tramor i fi gwario rywfaint o amser ynddo. Mae hi di bod yn amser prysur yn ddiweddar. Dros y misoedd diwethaf, roedd popeth yn pentyrru lan, ac roedd teimlad gen i fy mod i’n boddi dan y holl strach. Ond nawr, mae’n edrych fel bod popeth yn disgyn mewn i’w lle, a bod y misoedd nesaf am fod yn llawer haws. Fydd llai o deithio i ryw raddau, ond mi fyddai dal yn cael y cyfle i fyn i rai gwledydd sydd ar fy rhestr i’w ymweld.
Mae’r holl deithio ‘ma wedi meddwl fy mod i’n gwario cryn dipyn o amser yn aros o gwmpas (unai mewn maes awyr, ar awyren, mewn tacsi a phallu), a’r un o ychydig bethau sydd wedi cadw fi fynd yw’n iPod. Does fawr ddim syniad gen i sut fyswn i’n ymdopi heb y teclyn ‘ma. Un o’r pethau pwysig dwi wedi darganfod yw bod does ddim byd fel podlediad dyddiol technoleg yn cael eu gwneud ym Mhrydain. Yn yr UDA, mae ‘na Buzz Out Loud a Tech News Today, a dim ond Tech Weekly (gan y Guardian) a’r CNET UK Podcast (gan CNET UK). Dwi fethu meddwl pan nad oes podlediad dyddiol technoleg yn y wlad ‘ma, a pan fod neb hefo diddordeb ceisio mynd ar ôl y sector ‘ma o’r farchnad. Mae’n debyg fod yr ateb yr un a pan fod ddim byd fel y “Daily Show” yn y wlad ‘ma. Dyw e ddim yn fformat da ni’n gallu gwneud yn iawn, a bod ni’n debygol dod lan a rhywbeth sydd fel y “One Show”, ond hefo fwy o regi.
Wel, dyna ni rili, da ni ond hanner ffordd trwy’r flwyddyn a dal cryn dipyn o deithio i’w gwneud, priodas neu ddau i fyd i, a’r Eisteddfod hefyd. Mae’r flwyddyn ‘ma sicr yn un prysur!
Tan tro nesaf.
B
Consulting the mystic runes, I note that it has been well over a month since my rather terse posting regarding buying a house. In my mind, there have been literally dozens of calls for more information, so hopefully this posting will take care of that.
I write this, not from the plush surroundings of my new lounge, but rather from the unfamiliar surroundings of the Hotel Ryalls in Blantyre (in Malawi, for the geographically; and perhaps Google-ly, challenged amongst you). That said, looking around, you would be hard pressed to work out what country you’re in. The only thing that would give it away is the rather curious cuisine, and the maps of Africa on the walls.
So I guess I ought to try and satisfy those of you who don’t read my myriad exploits on Twitter (@bryns), and bring you all up to speed on the events in my life. There is little really to say, other than the substantive portions of work on the house are done. The walls are painted; most of the furniture is in place. I’m gradually noticing all the little things you have to do to keep the place in order, and little things (like a scuff mark on the floor) that wouldn’t have bothered me a month or two ago, now *MUST* be dealt with right away.
All in all, it’s been a curious experience, and most of the decisions regarding decorating have happened more through luck than by design. Various people have tried to re-assure me that I shouldn’t worry about making the wrong choices, telling me “everyone makes mistakes with their first house”. I try to point out that such statements aren’t as helpful as they imagine. The idea of spending a day painting a wall, to then find you’ve picked the wrong colour and having to paint over it several times again is a little hard to ignore. The same can be said I think of what you chose to decorate the walls with. You see a nice bit of artwork in the shop, and think “gosh, that’d looks nice in the lounge/hallway/office/bedroom” and spend a fair old bit of money on it, only to get it home and realise it looks ridiculous there. People again assure me “don’t worry, it’ll take time to decorate the place” again seems a little depressing when you end up looking through the place at bare walls.
Enough of this house related nonsense.
As I said, I’m currently visiting the gloriously sunny Republic of Malawi. The route here was a little bit circuitous, having to fly down to Johannesburg first, before catching another flight back north for 2hrs. Blantyre is apparently the 2nd largest city in Malawi, and by all accounts, the financial capital of the country. You wouldn’t guess this of course by seeing the airport, or by driving around. On the way to the hotel, I saw rather bizarre scenes of people selling puppies by the side of the road (something I’ve often regarded as an impulse buy…) and people selling what appeared to be animal hides and clothes.
Malawi makes for my 11th major trip this year (and we’re only half way through), and the 5th country I’ve seen this year. It’s been a hectic few months recently, with a great number of things piling up in all directions. That said, with things falling into place now, the next six months will seemingly be a lot easier. There should be fewer trips, with the work being spread around. That said, there are a few on the horizon that will be quite good fun, and give me a chance to strike off a few countries from the “big list of places I’d like to visit” (I can’t say which yet, as they’re not confirmed).
My travels have meant I’ve been spending a lot of time doing very little (waiting for planes, in taxis on the way to the airport, being sat on planes etc), and the one piece of technology that’s kept me even slightly close to sane has been my iPod. I’ve been increasingly dependent on it lately for keeping up to date on my media and for something familiar to listen to when I’m stuck trying not to listen to a conversation at the airport where I have no idea what language is being spoken. As a consequence, I’ve been curious as to why there are no decent daily tech podcasts made in the UK. The Americans seem to have the market all to themselves with offerings like Buzz Out Loud and Tech News Today, whilst the UK seemingly manages with the (rather excellent, if unimaginatively named) Tech Weekly by the Guardian, and the CNET UK Podcast – both of which are weekly podcasts. Would there not be a market for such a podcast? Wouldn’t there be an advertiser who’d want to reach out to this particular market segment? I suppose it’s the same thing as to why there isn’t anything like the Daily Show in the UK, as we’d probably only end up with something like The One Show, only with cruder language. It’s a programme format We’re just not up to…
The summer promises a few more trips, a wedding or two (and the associated stag nights), as well as the Eiteddfod. This year is certainly an eventful one…
Until next time.
B
Dwi wedi bod yn ystyried ers peth amser beth yw’r peth gorau i wneud hefo’r blog ag ati, yn ddiweddar dwi’n gweld fod hi’n haws o beth llawer ysgrifennu neges Trydar (
@bryns) nag eistedd lawr ac ysgrifennu traethawd sydd dwi’n siŵr erbyn hyn ond yn cael ei ddarllen gan sbamwyr ag ati. Y meddwl sydd gen i yw cyfuno rhai o’r pethau gwe 2.0 dwi’n defnyddio mewn i un dudalen a gadael i bawb cael darllen. Yn anffodus, yn y gorffennol, dyw pethau fel ‘na ddim wedi mynd lawr yn dda (dwi’n cofio pobl yn cwyno fod nhw ddim eisiau darllen fy ffrwd twitter ar y blog ac yn y blaen).
Wedi dweud hynna, mae’r blog oeliaf yn rhoi siawns i mi naddu’r rhannau ‘na o’n hymennydd sy’n gyfrifol am ysgrifennu (ychydig llai ‘na) creadigol rhag grebachu (rhywbeth dwi’n teimlo sy’n digwydd i mi dyddiau ‘ma). Felly fydd rhaid i mi wneud fwy o ymdrech i ddefnyddio’r hyn sydd gennai.
Oh, i’r rhai ohonoch sydd yn dilyn y ffrwd RSS, mae hi nawr yn bosib i chi ddilyn yn un iaith neu’r llall, i chi cael y ffrwd Cymraeg, dilynwch y linc ‘ma i’r ffrwd Cymraeg. Neu Os bod chi eisiau, dyma’r ffrwd Saesneg. Os bod chi eisiau dilyn holl gynnwys y blog mewn iaith arbennig (sy’n cynnwys y lluniau o’n dudalen Flickr), tynnwch “author=1″ oddi ar ddiwedd cyfeiriad y ffrwd.
Hwyl am nawr.
B
I’ve been considering for some time now what’s the best thing to do with this blog. I’ve found recently that it’s far easier to post a message to
Twitter (
@bryns) than sitting down to write an essay which I’m sure is only read by spammers now. I’ve been contemplating bringing together all the web 2.0 things I post to under one site, which doesn’t go down well with some (based on past experiences).
Having said that, the blog does at least give me a chance to excercise that part of my brain with responsilbitiy for (not particularly) creative writing, and stoping it atrophy (something which I feel is happening to me of late). So I guess putting a bit more effort into it won’t do any harm.
Oh, for those who follow by RSS, I should probably tell you that you can now follow a particular post language, rather than have to scroll past one to reach the other. There’s a link to the Welsh feed, and a link to the English feed. If you want to follow the feed for the whole site in a particular language (including the photos I cross-post from my Flickr page), then knock off the “author=1″ from the end of the feed address.
Bye for now.
B